Electrical and telecom test equipment provider Megger this month announced that it now offers an instrument, its model MCT105, that is designed to detect and trace cables and metallic conductors that are in walls or buried underground.
With its transmitter voltage range from 12 to 400 V, a transmitter frequency range from 0 to 60 Hz, and operating temperature range of 0°C to 40°C, the Megger MCT105 can detect buried cables up to 2.5 meters (8.2 ft.) beneath surface-level.
The MCT105 can also identify fuses and breakers on electrical circuits, locate breaks or short circuits in cables and electrical underfloor heating systems, as well as trace metal water and heating pipes that are hidden.
MCT105 drill-down
Designed with a separate transmitter and receiver, per Megger, the MCT105 cable locater works on both live and dead cables and conductors, and comes equipped with everything needed to trace and locate cables and conductors, including test leads, crocodile clips, test probes and a protective carrying case.
The MCT105 cable locator’s transmitter operates at 5 voltage ranges: 12 V, 50 V, 120 V, 230 V, and 400 V, as well as generating a signal on dead or isolated cables and conductors. The transmitter generates a visual and audible signal when it detects dead or isolated cables and conductors.
Able to detect buried cables up to 2.5 meters (8.2 ft.) deep, the locator’s receiver offers either automatic or manual adjustment of its signal sensitivity for increased accuracy. A light built into the unit makes it easier to see while taking a reading or measurements.
The unit's non-contact voltage detector keeps users safe. Both the transmitter and receiver feature an auto power off feature, as well as low battery indicators. The receiver offers either automatic or manual adjustment of the signal sensitivity for increased accuracy. Both units include an auto power off feature and low battery indicators.
The big questions
On the company's website, Megger's technical team takes the proverbial 30K ft. and notes how "testing technology generally advances at a faster rate than an older tester wears out." So exactly when should technicians replace a tester? This and other big questions posed by a March 2023 blog article from Megger include:
- What if a tester it's still in good working order -- is it necessary to replace?
- When should technicians and contractors update vs. upgrade?
- How old is 'too old' for a tester?
- Is it really necessary to replace a tester after ‘x’ number of years?
The blog addresses the possible answers to such questions.
Doubling down
Elsewhere at the Megger Youtube channel, a recent installment of Megger's "Watt's up" podcast is featured, as seen below, which delves into the future of facilities and substations deployments with the rise of burgeoning digital twins technologies.
The discussion addresses topics including the benefits of digital twin, FAT factory acceptance tests, virtual relay testing, and "power up" questions.
For more news, projects, and profiles in the ICT cabling and connectivity sphere, subscribe to the CI&M newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
